Kenyan techies have launched the Skunk Awards 2008 to recognize top IT companies and individuals. The awards were created through the skunkworks list serve, a forum where Kenyan techies share ideas and help to sort out IT problems in real time.

The annual awards will act as a benchmark for the IT industry, said Arthur Simiyu, one of the organizers. The winner of the best ISP (Internet service provider) award, for example, will be the one above the rest in terms of service, quality and customer care, he explained.

"We then hope that the rest can try to beat the winner in the next year by upping their game, thereby improving the whole sector in general," Simiyu said. "The winner of the best ISP can look forward to increased business, since most techies will choose to use their service because they are winners."

The Skunk Awards will encompass everyone in the Kenyan ICT field, including non-Kenyans, making it broader and more transparent than past awards, Simiyu said. Often, awards are reserved for those who can afford membership fees in the organizations distributing them, locking out others.

"Most of the awards handed out each year are usually a big surprise to most of the techies, since we have no idea on who nominated who or who voted and when," he said.

Nomination and polling for the Skunk Awards will be online, and the winners will be announced online and during a conference later in the year. Categories will recognize both the best and the worst the industry has to offer in order to spur improvement in the sector. Nominations close on Oct. 10.